Customer Reviews

Prince - Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

As usual PRINCE is great in concert, and here is the DVD to prove it. Whether or not you were onboard with his last CD THE RAINBOW CHILDREN, there's plenty here to keep fans interested. It's gorgeously filmed, and very funky. Throw in Sheila E on percussion and Eric Leeds on horns, and you have a reason to dress in purple paisley once again. Straight up this is just a live performance with no frills. But interestingly enough it's priced low enough to make it more affordable than seing Prince live. He seems laid back and happy to be on stage, and he works his magic on every track from "Pop Life" to a blistering rendition of Led Zeplin's "Whole Lotta Love". One interesting thing I noticed was that the sound varied a little. As he moves around the stage the vocals seem to get louder or softer. It may not bug you since this is pretty much a natural thing live, but audio purists may wonder why they didn't adjust the levels to keep it all uniform for home viewing.

I went to the final show of the One Nite Alone tour in Las Vegas at the Aladdin hotel and sat 6 rows back. Mike Tyson (pre-facial tattoo) and Gladys Knight were in attendence. It was one of the most awesome experiences of my lifetime and was uncontestably the best concert I have ever seen.

That said... This DVD does not hold a candle to that spectacular concert.

First of all, the DVD showcases less than HALF of the actual concert. The second half consisted of Prince sitting at a keyboard performing old favorites. This was not on the DVD at all. There was a sizeable chunk of the first part of the show missing as well. The actual concert was about 3 hours longHow incredibly dissapointed I was to discover this AFTER I purchased the DVD.

The video quality of the concert sucked. It appears to have been filmed with poor digital cameras and becomes pixellated often throughout the show. The camera angles are very amateurish. The sound quality isn't anything to brag about either.

This DVD in no way captures the essence of the live powerhouse that is Prince. Prince is arguably the greatest live performer of all time, yet this DVD does not showcase it. I do not recommend this DVD.

I don't usually write reviews, but having got this DVD I feel compelled, - because there is a bit of an injustice in the evaluation of this concert. How can this DVD have an overall rank of 3.5 stars?
I almost didn't buy this DVD, based upon some of the reviews here... I was expecting some home video footage, recorded with a gramophone!
Nothing could be further from the truth. While I know there are some great production concerts (i.e Roger Water's), there really is nothing wrong with the way its filmed or recorded.
The length of the concert is ok too... (Of course, I would have loved for it to be longer - because it is pure joy to watch.)
But what you really have here - is a QUALITY MASTERFUL PERFORMANCE.

Not sure how you can really judge one of the best shows I have ever seen, based upon whether it is filmed in 9mm, with super-dooper 5.1 surround sound. Really...
While maybe it counts for something, - its the actual concert that ultimately matters.
The question is, - is the concert any good?
And having seen all Prince's performances on video, I have to say this is the best.
The new line up of musicians is amazing, - all in the realm of prodigy like Prince himself. The arangements are inspired, tight and very, very funky.
Prince is probably in the best mood I've seen him in ever... He's funny, charismatic and very playful. You just can't help but be mezmerized by his performance, and the antics he gets up to on stage.
And of course, - he's at his peak of singing, playing guitar and keyboards, dancing, and leading a phenomenal line up of musicians.
I've played this DVD to friends of mine that don't even like Prince, - and they were glued to the screen.
Really, - don't go past this DVD!
This is the pinacle of Prince's artistry.
If you're a musician - it is a must.

One of these days I was in a big music store in my town and this video was rolling on a big plasma screen. Immediatly it took my attention and in a few minutes I've been completly hooked. i searched for it but it was sold out. Finally after a couple of weeks the store reassorted it and put it even at a lower price so I immediatly decided to get it. Men. Yesterday's late night I was in bed but I decided to give this dvd few moments. Oh men. This is one of the greatest concert ever in my opinion, one of the most entertaining for sure. After the first bars I immediatly started to dance in bed! This band the man put together is sublime, it is stellar, it's groove is so tight it's incredible. Oh men! What a funk! This band is incredibly grooving! Fantastic rhythmn team. Great great great! The program has its variety, it has a spectacular tune with Nikka Costa (very good girl!!! ) a lot of Jazz here and there with fantastic soloists (Maceo Parker and the other horn guys, sorry can't remember the names now,... great piano player) and a killer funky soul allaround. I can't do nothing but suggest the purchase of this live concert. I will buy each and every DVD Prince will publish in the future if they will be similar to this one. You will hear Hendrix, James Brown, George Benson, Charlie Parker, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett's echoes (and more than echoes) in this music. Generations of black music in just one band!! Incredible band (telle the bass player Rhonda that I LOVE HER and I WANT TO MARRY HER!!! =)))) ), incredible performance and incredible music!!! I REALLY REALLY LOVE THIS DVD !!!!! Prince is the real Aladdin's genius came out of the lamp!!! 5 stars are not enough!

Man oh Man...if you have any questions or doubts about who rules the funk world you can put them to rest after watching this DVD.

Prince does a great job as band leader, singer, and guitar player. The NPG is totally kicking like a superpower kung fu chicken!

If you want Prince from the 1984 days of Purple Rain, you better get something else...If you want Prince as he is today, the Reining Funk Master, get this DVD.

Half the set is modern jazz and the other half is rocking like nobody's business.

If you play guitar there is an extra bonus on with the extra track. This is the first time I have ever heard or seen Prince play guitar like greats Jeff Beck and Carlos Santana.

I have been a major Prince fan for 20 yrs. And although even I must admit that he has released some pretty poor material for the past decade, I was absolutely FLOORED, by this show!! I have watched it almost non-stop for the past week, even 3 times in one day. DON'T expect some post production work. This live music for live music lovers. If you want that, buy his studio CD's. Don't expect a bunch of Purple Rain numbers, because "he's not interested in what you know, but what you are willing to learn!" He has matured and evolved as an artist with this set. He's even stopped wearing his sisters' clothes (except for the shoes). Showing his personality and sense of humor, He's obviously enjoying himself! Most music today is made with only a keyboard and drum machine or maybe an imitation guitar player. by people who couldn't play a real instrument to save their life , and not possibly play a guitar the way ONLY Prince can (I swear he was born with a guitar in his hands). But a true musician would never settle for that!! He has the baddest band in the land!! Especially his bass player(Rhonda Smith) and percussionist, Sheila E. showing how capable women can be. They are totally in sync, and the transitions are smooth, and they respond to his cues in a flash. He once again proves that he is THE ARTIST!! Mastering Jazz, Funk, Soul, Blues, Rock and even gospel in a way that seems to come so easily for him. (who else can do that?) I challenge you to find anyone who can even come close as a musician. As he says at the end of the set "don't hate me because I'm fabulous"! Elvis? Michael Jackson? PLEASE! He has NO peers (who else can go into the studio without a band, producer,or backup vocalist and produce ORIGINAL, quality work on a consistent basis BY HIMSELF), and to all of those haters who are complaining about the quality, I read your reviews and you almost caused me to miss out on what I can only describe as the best concert I've ever seen in my entire life! If you aren't on that level, fine. Buy something that's been sweetened in the studio after the show or performed by someone who can't sing, arrange, write, produce, compose, perform, conduct, or play dozens of instruments..... The only thing that could possibly surpass this concert is a longer DVD or being there in the flesh! I attended the Musicology tour only because I saw this DVD!

This dvd is a revelation, if not a validation of the awesome powers that is Prince. Outstanding performance throughout and with his most (kicking) band since the revoltion, you will not be disappointed by the intensity, craftsmenship, versatility of one of the 20th century's greatest. Nuff highlights -- I was particularly blown away by the Nikka Costa performance. She and Prince duet on a track "Pulling" from of her debut cd and it's a motherfunker. Particularly considering that the track is just ok on her cd -- here it takes new life and becomes a highlight of the Prince cannon. Also on the dvd, for the fans Prince dips into his catalogue with excellent results. This is achieve by not making so many obvious choices. For example, "Gotta Broken heart again" is a little ditty off Dirty Mind, on the dvd it becomes the true torch song it was always meant to be. He funks on Housequake, croons on "Strollin" and goes pop on "Money don't matter tonight". I could go on, but also worth noting are the excellent players in tow -- Sheila E., Maceo Parker, Eric Leeds and Rhonda Smith. And let's not talk about the performances of the man himself -- he takes you there in every way. Do cop this before it runs out-of-print. Essential.

First off, I must say the DVD video and audio quality are poor compared to other concert DVDs I've purchased (Rave 2000 DVD by Prince was far better). Aside from that, the music is simply awesome. Prince has a way of turning old hits into new music when he performs it live with rearrangements. I especially enjoyed "Gotta Broken Heart Again" and the Bonus Track "The Ride", not to mention "Strollin" (which seemed a perfect song for the Vegas type show and "The Work", which is pure JB funk. The cover of "Whole Lotta Love" is great too, great, intense guitar solos, but it ends on a disappointing, rather weak note. I hope he comes out with a Musicology DVD (please make the DVD quality better!) soon.

Just 70 minutes long? What the....?

Despite that, this is a powerhouse show with a new twist added to the Prince "ouevre" [did I spell that right?]. JAZZ! You read that right: Rock and funk dipped in JAZZ! And it works perfectly. And that is a tribute to the songs themselves. They work so well in various styles (funk, rock, jazz) because they are so well-crafted.

The only time I ever saw Prince perform live [prior to today - I'm ticketed to see his in about 6 weeks on his "Musicology" tour] was on his "Jam of the Year" tour in support of the "Emancipation" triple CD. Gotta say, we weren't terribly impressed with that show. But I would have loved to been present for this Aladdin Hotel show (especially since it was MUCH longer than the DVD version of it).

You will read some reviews in this section by some people who definitely were NOT impressed by this show. I can understand how they feel. This show was a dramatic departure from his showy, funky "Purple Rain" heyday. But in this show he is no less masterful, watchable, and listenable.

Your first viewing of this DVD will likely be a period of adjustment instead of pure enjoyment. But starting with the second viewing.....Ooooh Yeah!

When viewing this DVD, one should remember the spirit of the whole tour which was a stipped down, low-budget, small-venue type of show. No fancy lights, staging, suit-changes, but rather Prince demonstrating that he is first and foremost, a musician. This is very evident in the fact that he took no guitar player with him on this tour, as he alone assumed those duties. At the Oakland, CA. tour stop, one could see the equipment boxes and containers still on the stage, as if after the show, they were to be taken down and packaged for the trip to the next tour stop. Much has been made of the quality of the DVD, from the sound to the picture. As an owner of a few live bootleg videos, this is no where near that type of quality...meaning it is much better than its being described. It lacks the polished and clean look and sound of Rave Unto The Joy...Live, but that was a contrived event played to industry people, not the average fan. This DVD captures a raw glimpse at what the show and the tour included. There in lies my complaint. I would have preferred a complete show, from beginning to end, shot exactly the way this DVD was shot. With this DVD, you only get a 1/3 of the real show. It was masterful performance. To bad we didn't get to see it all.